Rena Mason

Horror from the High Desert

Scotty talks to award-winning author Rena Mason about her upbringing in both northern California and upstate New York, her early introduction to horror through "Godzilla" and Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," how a bad experience with an English professor, family obligations, and her career as an OR nurse steered her away from a literary career, but how a frustrating encounter with a disappointing "domestic drama" novel (which she thought would have been greatly improved by a third-act appearance by a famous movie slasher) convinced her to give writing a try. She discusses her influences from Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, and Clive Barker, and how her "blender" approach to genre lead to her strange, disturbing--and deeply satisfying--novel "The Evolutionist" (2013, Nightscape Press, winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel).

Rena and Scotty also talk about her Jack the Ripper-themed novella "East End Girls" (2013, Cemetary Dance Publications), how she developed her ear for dialogue, the joys (and dangers) of research rabbit-holes, balancing the demands for creating shorter content against the desire to keep writing longer work, and more. And Rena extols the virtues of the 1973 British occult biker movie "Psychomania"...which unfortunately Scotty didn't get to watch beforehand because of a weather-related mishap with his Internet (c'est la vie).

You can find Rena online at https://www.renamason.ink

You can find "The Evolutionist" at https://www.encyclopocalypse.com/product/the-evolutionist-rena-mason/125?cs=true&cst=custom

You can find "East End Girls" at https://www.amazon.com/East-End-Girls-Rena-Mason/dp/B088JXC25B/

Be sure to tune in to Daniel Braum's YouTube series "Night Time Logic." The series focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's You Tube Channel, which is his name DanielBraum or @danielbraum7838. Author Paul Tremblay will appear live on August 29 at 7 p.m., EST: https://www.facebook.com/events/797113355174358

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